Rose Valley scam: Mamata Banerjee aide Shrikant Mohta detained by CBI

Mamata Banerjee's close aide Shrikant Mohta has been detained by the CBI on Thursday for the Rose Valley scam.

Mohta is a noted Bengali film producer and distributor and is being interrogated at his office in the city by CBI officials regarding the multi-crore Rose Valley chit fund scam, sources said.

This comes amidst the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal decided to block CBI's entry in the state.

West Bengal had blocked the investigating agency after her Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu did the same. It had issued a notification saying it has withdrawn the former Left government's consensus to allow the CBI to operate independently in the state

READ | After Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata Banerjee Blocks CBI In West Bengal

Mohta, co-owner of Shree Venkatesh Films, was served a notice by the investigating agency regarding "acceptance of money from Rose Valley" and was questioned by the officials at his office located at a shopping mall in south Kolkata, they said.

Later, he was taken to the CGO office complex of CBI at Salt Lake for further interrogation. He (Mohta) had been called to join the investigation", a CBI source said. Enforcement Directorate is also probing the Rose Valley scam.

Rose Valley chairman Gautam Kundu is in jail in a money laundering case

Top TMC leaders are implicated in the scam and Banerjee's close aides are said to be involved in the scam.

Roopa Ganguly, BJP MP spoke about Mohta's detention, "Shrikant Mehta was not like this. He gradually turned into what he is today. He had to sponsor a lot for Mamata Banerjee. He built a huge shopping mall without paying municipals taxes."

(With agency inputs)